TECHNOLOGY
A world of Gadgets
Take a fun drive this holiday to your nearest tech store and go experience the
latest tech toys that will bring you up to speed in the New Year.
By Charles Boffard
LG G2
R7 300
lg.com/za
If you’re upgrading your Android phone,
here’s a good reason to look beyond
the current Samsung, HTC, and Sony
favourites. The front runners have
just been joined by LG’s new 5.2-inch
flagship phone, the G2. It has so much
potential that it may push the Galaxy
S4 and HTC out of the front rank. Its
800MHz Snapdragon processor is the
most powerful in an Android phone – its
display and 13MP camera match the best,
and its battery outlasts the competition. Also, with HP’s remote app, it
can control most manufacturers’ TV sets. Well worth considering.
SAMSUNG GEAR
R5 000
samsung.co.za
How’s this for an accessory? The Galaxy Gear connects
to the Note, the Galaxy S3 and S4, via Bluetooth.
Instead of pulling out your phone constantly, by
glancing at your wrist, it shows alerts and caller IDs for
incoming calls, and allows you to read text messages
and emails on its screen. And yes, you can answer and
make calls on it. According to Samsung, it sold 800 000
in its first two months. Its battery life is between 16-24
hours.
SONY SMARTWATCH 2
R2 700
sony.co.za
Sony’s second smartwatch has a slight edge over the Gear: it’s
compatible with most Android smartphones, not just Sony’s own. On
the other hand it has no speaker or mic, so you can’t actually make
or answer calls on it – it acts as a remote for the phone. Of course, it’s
sleek looking (Sony makes no ugly products), with a choice of digital
or analogue homescreens/readouts, and around 300 apps so far,
including Gmail, Facebook and Twitter. Its battery
life will last you between 3-7 days,
now that’s something to
talk about.
Around the
bend
Remember those old banana-curved Nokia
phones from the 90s? Well, like bell-bottom
jeans and platforms, they may also be
coming back into style. Maybe.
In 2014, Samsung will bring us the
Samsung Round, “the first smartphone
with a curved screen”, based on the Galaxy
S4. But LG has beat them to market with
the LG G Flex, due in South Africa soon.
And whether they were cooked up by
overheated marketing departments or
nerd-competitive engineers, what else could
these be for than beating the opposition at
something?
The Samsung’s sides curl inward from
the centre, matching the curve of the
hand; the LG curves from top to bottom,
matching the curve of the face. Whether
you like your phones bendy or straight,
these are not just curiosities – they are
both premium, high-spec devices with topnotch pedigrees.
Edition 8
Technology.indd 49
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2013/12/20 9:16 AM